


Embrace the Shadows

by Aurellyn



Series: Void-Touched [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Corruption, Gen, Intense, POV Karkat Vantas, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 08:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14351709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurellyn/pseuds/Aurellyn
Summary: The intimidating monster that is Noir stands before you. It’s your ultimate goal to destroy him before he destroys everything you hold dear, but as you are now you’re not strong enough. The gift he’s offering you will give you that power in time, but at what cost?The cowardly part of you wants to refuse, but you hold your tongue. You’ve gone through so much to get where you are now, and you know that even though you’re absolutely terrified, as you should be, you need to accept this.





	Embrace the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Well, while I was writing the first part to this, [Left Behind](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343882), I kept getting so many ideas that I purposely didn't even mention in that piece, since it was supposed to be just this small thing that never got much bigger. Afterwards, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I just started writing more in this universe, hence why this exists! I'm probably going to write lots of small pieces for this universe. Maybe I'll even sit down and dedicate myself to writing a nice long story for it, but for now have this drabble about how and why Karkat became corrupted.
> 
> Inspired by World of Warcraft.

This is a very critical moment in your life. This is the moment that could change your future, change your destiny. You’ve fought hard to get here, lied to so many people, broken bonds with everyone you loved, and now you’ve got this opportunity and it will shape the rest of your life.

The intimidating monster that is Noir stands before you. It’s your ultimate goal to destroy him before he destroys everything you hold dear, but as you are now you’re not strong enough. The gift he’s offering you will give you that power in time, but at what cost?

The cowardly part of you wants to refuse, but you hold your tongue. You’ve gone through so much to get where you are now, and you know that even though you’re absolutely terrified, as you should be, you need to accept this.

“Fine, Noir,” you say, priding yourself on the fact that your voice comes out straight. “I accept.”

Noir’s solid white eyes narrow on you and he grins, an expression that looks strange on his canine-like muzzle. He holds out his one arm to you, hand curled into a fist. His fingers flex out in one sharp movement and you see sparks that range from deep purple to deep blue to black dance around them.

When he speaks to you, it’s a voice that fills the air around you. Telepathy.

_’I am pleased,’_ he says, and you’d meet his gaze but your eyes are locked on the dark energy that’s zapping around his hand. He takes a step towards you and you take half a step back. He won’t judge you, you know, because you _should_ be frightened in the face of a demigod. To him it’s a compliment.

Your heart is racing in your chest, your skin tingles with the way the air feels almost electrically charged. And Noir is standing almost directly in front of you now. The very space around his hand is warped and distorted as whatever magic he’s building grows stronger.

You force yourself to stand absolutely still as he reaches you, will your body to calm, but you’re fucking _scared_. This is monster that could destroy you in the blink of an eye. Hell, even though he thinks you’ve pledged allegiance to him, he still just might.

He’ll certainly want you dead once he discovers that you’re out to sabotage him.

His eyes bore into yours and it almost feels like he’s seeing into your very soul. You feel dizzy just looking at him, just trying to stand in the presence of such raw, unbridled power.

You’re beginning to wonder just what to expect next when, in a flash, it happens.

Noir’s arm whips up and then the next thing you know, that ball of chaotic, whirling magic is being slammed directly into your chest. Any air you had in your lungs leaves you in a rush as you’re thrown backwards from the blow.

You’re slammed back against one of the stone pillars around the ruins of the chamber you and Noir are in, and there’s enough force behind it that the stone cracks. You’re pretty sure you broke several bones in the process, but if you did you can’t feel them beyond the way your chest feels like it’s caving in on itself.

Time slows down to a crawl in your eyes and you can only watch as the last of that black ball of magic sinks into you, as it’s absorbed by you, and as your senses promptly shatter and abandon you. All you can feel is what’s going on inside of you.

That magic spreads through you light the darkest form of lightning. A veil starts to smother you like dense smoke. You can feel it destroying and exploding every single cell in your body. It’s _killing_ you. And the pain is unbelievable. It’s too much, too excruciating, that you almost silently plead for death.

Until you suddenly remember with a sharp jolt why you wanted this in the first place.

You want to protect your friends and family. You want to save your world. You want to destroy Noir. But most of all? Most of all, you want to do everything you can to keep Dave safe. Your best friend. The only person you’ve ever truly loved.

It’s this thought that summons up what remains of your inner strength, of your will to live, and pushes you to claw your way out of the shadows. You won’t fucking die here, damn it! You risked _everything_ to get here, to get this power, and you aren’t going to let it take you. Especially not when you still have to apologize to Dave, when you still have to tell him you love him.

It feels like you fight against the pain and the darkness for an eternity. You kick and scream and you claw your way out like some feral animal. Finding your way through your own twisted mind is difficult, but when you do eventually see the light you dive headlong towards it.

And suddenly you’re sucking in a sharp breath and coughing violently as you’re slammed back into reality. Your senses come back to you with such blinding and stunning clarity that your whole world spins and wobbles out of control for a nauseating moment in which you squeeze your eyes shut.

Your chest aches, it feels like you got hit by a fucking house, and you realize that you’re lying face-down on the old, cracked stone floor. You turn your head enough to look up and around the room and you find that you’re alone. Noir is nowhere to be seen.

Your body trembles as you pull yourself up into a sitting position, gaze going in and out of focus, and that’s when you _feel_ it. The power is … almost overwhelming. It’s so strong and you can feel it pulsing within you, as if you have too much of it and need to let it out. The urge to wreak havoc and just destroy anything and everything is incredible.

More than that, it’s dark and twisted and you can feel it eating at you, you can feel it snapping at the edges of your mind, trying to overcome you, trying to corrupt your will. You groan and clutch at your head. There’s voices; horrible, horrible whispers that you can’t quite make out but are there in the back of your mind. It’s nearly enough to drive you mad. It’s-

No.

You take a deep breath, willing yourself to focus. _Focus._ You knew that any power given to you by Noir was going to be dangerous and evil beyond comprehension. You knew this, and you still signed up for it because you also know, even now, that harnessing this will be the only way to stop him.

It’s a sacrifice you were, and still are, willing to make.

_’You are void-touched.’_ Noir’s voice reaches you suddenly, echoing around your mind. _’I can feel your struggling. I can feel your hatred, though I already knew.’_ Your blood runs cold. He knew you wanted this power in order to kill him?

_’I knew from the start. You were weak and fragile and your mind was easy to invade,’_ he tells you, and you find yourself glancing around at the darkest parts of the ruined temple around you. Where is he? Surely he’s got to be nearby.

_’It may have been a risk, perhaps, but you are loyal and that is something I value in my minions.’_ Noir laughs, a terrifying, evil chuckle that pierces you to the very core.

Your hands clench into fists and you glance at them as they sting. Your nails … they’re claws now. The color of your skin is different than it used to be, too, gray and tough-looking. Your eyes widen in panic and you twist a bit to try and look at the rest of your body.

It’s all different. You’re still humanoid in shape, but your features are have changed. You have claws now, for one, and when you turn your head to look over your shoulder you see that you’ve got these huge bird-like wings on your back, feathers black as night. What the fuck?!

How else are you a monster?

_A monster._ You’re a monster just like Noir.

This revelation and the words he’s said instill crippling fear in you and it’s making it hard to fight back against the darkness. Your vision sways some and you feel the tide of power within you ripple once more. It’s a feeling that rushes to your extremities and makes your fingers and toes go numb.

Your world is going dark, and you’re not sure if it’s exhaustion or the void claiming you. You try to fight it, but your body won’t listen to you and your eyes fall shut regardless of how hard you try to keep them open.

You fall forward and your body hits the ground.

_’I will have you, Vantas. You think you can contain the power I have given you, but you will bend and break beneath it.’_

As you fall into the abyss, the last thing you hear is Noir’s voice.

_’And when you do, you will be mine.’_


End file.
